Overview
- The JAMA Network Open analysis followed 2,157 adults aged 60 and older in the SNAC‑K cohort for up to 15 years using validated food‑frequency questionnaires.
- Among participants carrying APOE ε4, higher total meat consumption correlated with slower declines in global cognition and episodic memory over time.
- APOE ε4 carriers in the highest meat‑intake group had about a 45% lower incidence of dementia than those in the lowest group, according to stratified comparisons.
- No meaningful association between total meat intake and cognitive outcomes was detected in participants without APOE ε4 risk genotypes.
- A higher processed‑to‑total meat ratio predicted increased dementia risk across the full sample, while exploratory signals around vitamin B12 pathways remain unconfirmed and experts emphasize that observational data cannot prove causation.